A scam involving the Mississippi appellate court appears to be popping up all across the country.

According to the office of the Clerk of the Mississippi Court of Appeals, individuals have been receiving emails which falsely claims to have come from the court. The suspicious emails are an attempt to get the recipient to open a link or an attached document.

"Courts in other states have identified emails fitting this description as an effort to download a computer virus or malicious software," said Beverly Pettigrew Kraft, Public Information Officer with the Administrative Office of Courts. "These emails have not been sent by the Court of Appeals or any entity associated with the Mississippi Judiciary … persons who are not involved in litigation would not receive email from the Mississippi appellate courts."

In the scam, people have described emails which purport to be acknowledgment of filing of a nonexistent legal document or claim, or which instruct the recipient to report to a court on a particular date. Those who received the email have said they have not filed anything with the courts.

"Persons who have no involvement in litigation pending before the courts are warned not to open a link or attachment in unsolicited email fitting this description," said Kraft. "Opening such a link or attachment may download malicious software."

The common thread is the emails ask the recipient to open a document attachment or click on a link. Opening the attachment or link may download a computer virus.

The Office of the Clerk of the Mississippi Court of Appeals has received inquiries about the emails from Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington.